Nottingham High School

Independent public school in Nottingham, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nottingham High School is a private, coeducational day school in Nottingham, England, consisting of an infant and junior school (ages 4–11), and senior school (ages 11–18).[7] It was founded in 1513 by Dame Agnes Mellers, as a free grammar school for boys, with a charter signed by Henry VIII.[8] The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and has been coeducational since 2015.[9]

Coordinates52°57′45″N 1°09′33″W
TypePrivate day school
Public school
MottoLatin: Lauda finem
(Praise to the end[1])
Established1513; 513 years ago (1513)
Quick facts Location, Coordinates ...
Nottingham High School
Photograph of a Gothic Revival building in grey slate, with walls of light brown and a pitched roof bearing algae. It has a wide chimney on each side, five large multi-segment windows on each storey on each section. The left and right sections have two and three storeys respectively, separated by a central protrusion with five storeys. The central section has two-storey bays window flanking an arched, elevated wooden door, above an outdoor double staircase with a simpler wooden door in the front. Above each bay window is a smaller window. Above these is a narrower section with three large multi-segment windows, above which is a yet narrower section forming a square tower and the highest storey. The tower is crenellated with one large multi-segment window, a flagpole with no flag in the centre, and a crenellated stone structure projecting from the right corner like a crow's nest, which could be used as a lookout. The building is fronted by a lawn between an embankment and a planted area. Steps down from the central part lead to a war memorial: a bronze statue of a First World War uniformed British soldier looking back and pointing up towards the left, atop a white stone plinth with a relief of Nottingham's heraldic achievement, an inscription on a plaque and a relief of the lozenge of Dame Agnes Mellers. The war memorial has stone steps on all four sides separating an outer circle of shrubbery. Below is a paved stone floor.
South side of the school
Location
Waverley Mount

Nottingham
,
Nottinghamshire
,
NG7 4ED

England
Coordinates52°57′45″N 1°09′33″W
Information
TypePrivate day school
Public school
MottoLatin: Lauda finem
(Praise to the end[1])
Established1513; 513 years ago (1513)
FoundersDame Agnes Mellers, Sir Thomas Lovell and King Henry VIII
Local authorityNottingham City Council
Department for Education URN122915 Tables
Chairman of GovernorsSteven Banks[2]
HeadHeadmaster of the Senior School:
Andrew Holman[3]
Head of the Infant and Junior School:
Polly Bennett[4]
Staff<130
GenderCo-educational since 2015;[5] previously boys
Age4 to 18
Enrolment1186
HousesSenior:
Cooper's
Maples'
Mellers'
White's
Junior:
Ball's
Hardy's
Tonkin's
Trease's
PublicationFormer Senior School:
Old Nottinghamian
Former 'Junior School':
Young Nottinghamian
Former 'Lovell House':
The Squirrel
AlumniOld Nottinghamians[6]
WebsiteNottingham High School
Close

There were 1186 students enrolled as at December 2025, of whom 262 were in the sixth form.[10]

History

Foundation

The original 1512 charter approving the foundation of a free grammar school in Nottingham

In 1513, the "Free School" was founded by Dame Agnes Mellers, after the death of her husband Richard, partly in his memory, but also as atonement for wrongdoings against the people of Nottingham.[11][12] To do so she enlisted help from Sir Thomas Lovell as governor of Nottingham Castle and Secretary to the Treasury. Through their combined efforts, Henry VIII sealed the school's foundation deed on the 22 November that year. It is unclear whether this was a new institution or an endowment of an existing school, of which records exist back to 1289.[11] Almost 20,000 boys are estimated to have attended between 1513 and 2013.[13]

In the foundation deed, Mellers provided for a commemoration service in St Mary's Church in the Lace Market "on the Feast of the Translation of St Richard of Chichester, namely 16 June" each year,[11] although the service "is now held on the nearest Saturday to that date."[14] With the exception of Nottingham Goose Fair, this is the most ancient ceremonial event still held in the city of Nottingham,[15] and the oldest still largely in its original form (the Goose Fair now being a funfair rather than a livestock fair), although there seems to be no record of it being held between the mid-16th century and its revival in 1923.[11]

Coat of arms

The College of Arms granted the school a coat of arms in 1949,[11] the full blazon being:

Ermine, a lozenge argent charged with three blackbirds rising proper. On a chief gules, an open book also proper, garnished or, between two ducal coronets of the last. And for the crest, on a wreath argent and gules, a squirrel sejant gules holding between the paws a ducal coronet or. Mantling, argent and gules. Motto "Lauda Finem".

The motto, Lauda finem, is Latin for "praise [to] the end".[1]

Remembrance Day service

Affixed to the weathered, discoloured white stone war memorial is a black plaque with white text in Times New Roman font. The text reads: "To the Glory of God / In lasting and grateful memory / of those former members / of this School / who by the sacrifice of their lives / for the cause of their Country / in the Great War 1914 – 1918 / and the Second World War 1939 – 1945 / ennobled the traditions / which they had here received."
Plaque on the war memorial

An annual Remembrance Day service on 11 November is attended by the whole school with the headmaster, president of the Old Nottinghamians and the school captain placing wreaths at the war memorial. Scholars attend a morning special assembly usually in the Player Hall, at which a minute's silence is observed. Representatives of the school's Combined Cadet Force mark their respect with a parade around the main school building.[16]

Premises

Location

Since 1868 the school has stood high on Waverley Mount to the north of the city centre,[17] looking down towards its foundation site in St Mary's Church and later building in Stoney Street. The present site has undergone a long programme of building and development.

Main building
Photograph of a Gothic Revival building. The walls are light brown and the pitched roof, which has algae growing on it, is grey slate. There is a wide chimney on each side of the building. There are five large multi-segment windows on each story on the left section, and five large multi-segment windows on each story on the right section. The left and right sections have two and three stories respectively and are separated by a protruding central section, which has a total of five stories. The central section has a two-storey bay window on each side of an arched, wooden door, which is elevated. The door is above an outdoor double staircase, which has a simpler wooden door in the front. Above each bay window is a smaller window. Above the smaller windows is a narrower section with three large multi-segment windows, above which is a yet narrower section, forming a square tower and the highest storey of the building. The tower is crenellated and has one large multi-segment window, a flagpole without a flag in the centre, and a crenellated stone structure projecting from the right corner that resembles a crow's nest in that it could be used as a lookout point. In front of the building is a lawn that separates an embankment from a planted area. Steps lead down from the central part of the building to a war memorial, which is in the form of a bronze statue of a First World War uniformed British soldier looking backwards and pointing up towards the left, standing atop a white stone plinth that has a relief of the heraldic achievement of the city of Nottingham, an inscription on a plaque, and a relief of the lozenge of Dame Agnes Mellers. The war memorial is elevated with stone steps on all four sides, which separate an outer circle of shrubbery. Below the war memorial is a paved stone floor.
War memorial at the south gates

An example of Gothic Revival architecture, the first school building on the present site, built between 1866 and 1867, was designed by Thomas Simpson.[18] It consists of a tower and three wings: West Wing, Middle Corridor, and East Wing. West Wing houses classrooms for mathematics, English and geography. Housed in Middle Corridor are the learning support department, two ICT centres, two language laboratories, religious studies classrooms, two multi-purpose lecture theatres, the school library, and staff offices. East Wing contains the old gymnasium, the Player assembly hall and classrooms for modern languages, history, and classics. The school front and other features are Grade II listed.

The Player Hall
Photograph of a Gothic Revival building. The walls are light brown and the pitched, grey-slate roof has algae growing on it. There is a wide chimney on each side. There are five large multi-segment windows on each story on the left section and on the right section. Both sections have two and three stories and are separated by a protruding central section, which has a total of five stories and a two-storey bay window on each side of an arched, wooden door, which is elevated. The door is above an outdoor double staircase, which has a simpler wooden door in the front. Above each bay window is a smaller window. Above the smaller windows is a narrower section with three large multi-segment windows, surmouned by a yet narrower section, forming a square tower and the highest storey of the building. The tower is crenellated and has one large multi-segment window, a flagpole without a flag in the centre, and a crenellated stone structure projecting from the right corner that resembles a crow's nest in that it could be used as a lookout point. In front of the building is a lawn that separates an embankment from a planted area. Steps lead down from the central part of the building to a war memorial in the form of a bronze statue of a uniformed, First World War British soldier looking backwards and pointing up towards the left, standing atop a white stone plinth with a relief of the city's heraldic achievement, an inscription on a plaque, and a relief of the lozenge of Dame Agnes Mellers. The war memorial is elevated with stone steps on all four sides, to separate an outer circle of shrubbery. Below the memorial is a paved stone floor.
The south side of the school, showing the war memorial
Additions

To the west, the Founder Hall building was built in 1963 to mark the school's 450th anniversary. It includes the school's swimming pool and the Founder Hall itself, and acts as a performing venue to supplement the Player Hall. A drama studio was added in 2013 to mark the school's 500th anniversary.[19]

The Simon Djanogly Science Building from 1984 is situated to the south west with 13 laboratories for all three sciences. A 25-yard CCF shooting range remains in the basement.[20] The building was opened on 2 March 1984 by the Duke of Edinburgh.[12]

In front of the science building is the music school, completed in 1997. This houses the Lady Carol Djanogly Recital Hall, the Jones Trust Music Room, a music technology studio, a resources centre, seven instrumental teaching rooms, and a larger brass teaching room, a percussion studio and a classroom for Infant and Junior School pupils.[21]

In 1989 a sports hall was built on land to the north-east of the site formerly occupied by fives court and a shooting range.[22]

In the north-west corner is the Sir Harry Djanogly Art, Design and Technology Centre. The ground floor was built in the mid-1990s, and a first floor was added in the 2003/2004 academic year.

Lovell House Building

Waverley House School, to the west of the main site, was purchased in 2008. Its buildings were refurbished and renamed the Lovell House Infant School. In 2013, this single-sex establishment was combined with the Junior School to form Nottingham High Infant and Junior School.

Playing field

The school's games field is not on the main site but at Valley Road, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north. Historically farmland[23] from as early as 1878, namely Harvey's Farm; then briefly Hucknall Road Farm[24] in 1920, it was converted to use as a playing field around 1960.[25] It features a number of rugby pitches and posts during winter, which are converted for athletics in the spring, with a running track and areas for shot put, javelin, discus, pole vault, hurdles and high jump. During the summer, the ground is used for cricket, with nets put up and squares re-established for the season. Tennis courts, netball courts, and an archery range are also located there. The pavilion has several changing rooms on the ground and first floors, and a refreshment area for staff and guests.[26] Until 1897, boys played sports and had their PE lessons at the Forest Recreation Ground.[13]

School organisation

The junior and senior schools both have four houses, each named after a person connected with the school. The house system plays an integral role in school life.[27]

Junior school houses

The junior school's four houses are named after former pupils or staff who served with distinction in the First World War and were killed in action or died of their wounds.[28] Ball's House recalls Albert Ball, a fighter pilot in the RFC and pupil at the school in 1907–1909, Hardy's House Theodore Hardy, an assistant master in 1891–1907 and a British Army chaplain in 1916–1918, Tonkin's House FC Tonkin, a former pupil who served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, and Trease's House Reginald Trease, a pupil at the school in 1898–1905. [28]

Senior school houses

The four houses in the senior school are Mellers', named after the school's founder, Cooper's, named after Frederick Cooper, an artist who in 1872 donated almost 2 acres (8,100 m2) of land to the school, Maples', named after Samuel Maples, a former pupil who bequeathed £3,000 to fund scholarships in 1892, and White's, after Sir Thomas White, who endowed a charity to provide interest-free loans to "young men of good name and thrift" in the Midlands, some money from which was lent to the school in slightly questionable circumstances in the mid-19th century).[11]

Curriculum

Nottingham High School offers a wide range of GCSE, Advanced Subsidiary-Level (AS-level) and General Certificate of Education Advanced-Level (GCE A-level) subjects. Many are also studied by younger pupils at the school in years seven and nine.[29][30]

Sixth-form subjects include Ancient Greek, art, biology, chemistry, classical civilization, computer science, design and technology, drama, economics, English language, English literature, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), French, further mathematics, geography, government and politics, German, history, Latin, mathematics, music, music technology, physical education, physics, psychology, religious studies, statistics, and Spanish.

Media

Some of a 1990 episode of the TV series "Boon", starring Michael Elphick, was filmed at the school, with some pupils as extras. The story was entitled "Bully Boys", the sixth episode of the fifth series, broadcast on 30 October 1990. The main playground, the Bridge Library (now the library reception), and the Valley Road playing fields were shown.

Kevin Fear (the then school's headmaster) and certain boys, were filmed by ITV for a news story shown as part of the news programme "ITV News Central".[31] Filming took place at several school locations, including the headmaster's office, various classrooms and the Lower School Library. The news was that the school had announced it would admit girls – for the first time in its 500-year history – from 2015/2016.[31]

List of masters

More information Date, Name ...
Close

* Resigned or retired
† Died in office
‡ Never assumed post[11]: 71 

Brian Garnet (headmaster 1565 – c. 1575) is notable as the father of the Jesuit priest Henry Garnet, who was executed for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot.[11]: 30, 90 

Notable alumni

See also: Old Nottinghamians

All former pupils and staff members are granted the title "Old Nottinghamian".[6][33] For more than a century, the Old Nottinghamians' Society has existed continuously, with its origins dating back to 1897, at which time it was called the NHS Dinner Committee.[33] Between 1902 and 1961 it was known as the Nottingham High School Old Boys' Society.[33]

Arts

Academia and religion

Armed forces

Media and entertainment

Civil and diplomatic service

Commerce

Law

Politics

Science and technology

Sport

See also

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI